Method and apparatus for generating information associated with a lapsed presentation of media content

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, facilitating access to a synopsis of a missed portion of a media program, identifying subject matter in a segment of content in the media program that has not been presented, determining a particular time for presenting the summary according to the subject matter in the segment of content, and initiating a presentation of the summary at the particular time. Other embodiments are disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/704,041, filed Sep. 14, 2017, which is acontinuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/080,920, filed Nov. 15, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,807,474. Thecontents of the foregoing are hereby incorporated by reference into thisapplication as if set forth herein in full.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The subject disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for generatinginformation associated with a lapsed presentation of media content.

BACKGROUND

It is common for members of a household or enterprise to view mediacontent on a shared television system. When a media program is inprogress, it would be undesirable for a user to invoke a playbacksession with, for example, a digital video recorder that previouslyrecorded the program, as this may interrupt the viewing of the mediaprogram by another user who is viewing the media program from the sametelevision system and who has not missed any portion of the mediaprogram presentation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a system for presentingmedia content;

FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a system for presentingmedia content;

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method operating inportions of the system described in FIGS. 1-2;

FIGS. 4-5 depict illustrative embodiments of communication systems thatprovide media services according to the method of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal forinteracting with the communication systems of FIGS. 1-2, and 4-5;

FIG. 7 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device; and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrativeembodiments for presenting summaries of missed media program segments.Other embodiments are included in the subject disclosure.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes a device having aprocessor, and a memory that stores executable instructions that, whenexecuted by the processor, facilitate performance of operations,including detecting a request for a synopsis of a missed portion of avideo program in progress, identifying a particular time for presentingthe synopsis according to subject matter in a next segment of contentthat has yet to be presented in the video program, and presenting thesynopsis at the particular time. In one embodiment the missed portioncan be determined from a first time when the video program was initiatedand a second time when the request for the synopsis is received.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes a machine-readablestorage medium, including executable instructions which, responsive tobeing executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operationsincluding detecting a request for a synopsis of a missed portion of amedia program, identifying subject matter in a segment of content in themedia program that has not been presented, determining a particular timefor presenting the synopsis according to the subject matter in thesegment of content, and initiating a presentation of the synopsis at theparticular time.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes a method forgenerating, by a system comprising a processor, a summary of a missedportion of a media program, identifying, by the system, subject matterin a next segment of content in the media program that has not beenpresented, determining, by the system, a particular time for presentingthe summary according to the subject matter in the next segment ofcontent, and initiating, by the system, a presentation of the summary atthe particular time.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a system 100 for presentingmedia content. The system 100 can comprise a set-top box 106communicatively coupled to a television 110 and a communication network104. The communication network 104 can also be communicatively coupledto one or more servers 102 that provide summary or synopsis services toportable communication devices used by subscribers of the service. Theportable communication devices can be a tablet 120 or smart phone 122 asshown in FIG. 1 communicatively coupled to the servers 102 by way of awireless communication link between the set-top box 106 and the tablet120 or smart phone 122. The wireless link can be a wireless fidelity(WiFi) link, a Bluetooth link, or other suitable wireless linktechnologies. The set-top box 106 can also be controlled by a remotecontroller 124 or by remote control software applications executed bythe tablet 120 or smart phone 122. Alternatively, the functions providedby set-top box 106 and television 110 can be combined into a singlephysical device, e.g., a smart TV or a connected TV. The functionprovided by television 110 can also be implemented by a video wall whichmay include multiple individual displays arranged in a matrix.

FIG. 2 depicts another illustrative embodiment of a system 200 forpresenting media content. In the embodiment of system 200, the tablet120 and smart phone 122 can be communicatively coupled to the set-topbox 106 over a first wireless link (e.g., WiFi), and can also becommunicatively coupled to the communication network 104 over a secondwireless link (e.g., LTE). In this embodiment, the tablet 120 and thesmart phone 122 can receive summary/synopsis services from the servers102 over the communication network 104 without assistance from theset-top box 106.

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method 300 operating inportions of the systems 100-200 described in FIGS. 1-2. Method 300 canbegin with step 302 in which a first user requests a media program bymanipulating, for example, the remote controller 124. The media programcan be a scheduled television program, a video on demand movie download,or other suitable forms of media content provided by the set-top box106. At step 304, the media program presentation begins at televisionsystem 110. At step 306 a second user comes into a viewing area of themedia program after a portion of the media program has elapsed (“amissed portion”). The second user may determine that s/he would like toview the same program, but would like to receive a synopsis of theprogram in a manner that does not interrupt the viewing of the mediaprogram by the first user. To accomplish this, the second user caninitiate a synopsis request at step 308 by selecting a function onhis/her portable communication device such as a “synopsis button” on agraphical user interface presented on a display of the portablecommunication device.

Alternatively, the portable communication device can be configured toautomatically detect the set-top box 106, request information (e.g.,descriptive metadata) on what's being presented, and an indication ofhow much time has elapsed since the media program presentation wasinitiated. The portable communication device can then compare theprogram genre and/or program identity to user preferences to determineif this would be a media program desirable for viewing by the seconduser. If the media program is determined to be desirable, the portablecommunication device can be configured to present the second user agraphical user interface that prompts the second user to accept ordecline an option to request a synopsis. In another embodiment, when themedia program is determined to be desirable, the portable communicationdevice can submit the request for a synopsis to the servers 102 via theset-top box 106 (or directly via the network 104 as in FIG. 2) withoutprompting the second user.

In yet another embodiment, the portable communication device can beconfigured to determine a trajectory of the portable communicationdevice and an arrival time of the portable communication device at apremises of the second user (or enterprise), and anticipate based onhistorical data collected by the portable communication device that ascheduled media program of interest to the second user has alreadystarted before the second user's arrival. In this embodiment, theportable communication device can be configured to prompt the user, orautomatically request the synopsis of the program from the servers 102.

In one embodiment, when a synopsis request is detected by the set-topbox 106 at step 308, the set-top box 106 can proceed to step 310 toanalyze the subject matter in the next segment of the media program thathas yet to be presented. The analysis can reveal that the next segmentincludes subject matter that would be considered by the second user asimportant (e.g., a car chase). Such a determination can be made byobtaining metadata included in the media program stream on the samechannel as the media program (or a different channel) and comparing themetadata to preferences included in a user profile of the second user.The metadata can also designate certain segments as popular “must see”segments. Must see segments can be identified by the authors orproducers of the media program. Alternatively, metadata can alsoidentify an upcoming advertisement segment which can be used forpresenting the synopsis. Similarly, metadata can also identify a segmentas having less viewing significance than “must see” segments. Themetadata can also provide priority levels to identify the desirabilityof viewing a segment. It is also noted that the set-top box 106 canforward a synopsis request to the servers 102, which can analyze thenext segment as described above. If the metadata is not available,automated video summarization methods based on analysis of the motionactivity, audio content, etc., can be employed to estimate whichsegments are ‘must see’ segments.

At step 312 the set-top box 106 (or servers 102) can compare thepresentation priority of the next segment to the presentation priorityof the synopsis. The presentation priority of the synopsis can bedetermined by, for example, the length of time of the missed portion.The longer the missed portion is, the more important it is to providethe synopsis to the second user as soon as possible so that the seconduser can understand what has transpired in the missed portion and how itrelates to what is now being presented. Thus the priority assigned tothe synopsis can be weighted by the duration of the missed portion.Additionally, the priority can be determined by an analysis of thetranspired segments in the missed portion and the priorities given tothose segments.

At step 314, the set-top box 106 (or servers 102) can determine if thesynopsis presentation should be delayed according to the comparisonperformed in step 312. For example, if the priority given to thesynopsis is reasonably higher than the priority given to the nextsegment, then the set-top box 106 (or servers 102) can be configured todecide not to delay a presentation of the synopsis. Alternatively, ifthe next segment is a “must see” segment and an advertisement segmentfollows this segment, then a determination can be made that delaying thepresentation of the synopsis until the advertisement segment would beappropriate. In yet another embodiment, if the next segment has a higherpriority than the synopsis, then a determination can be made thatdelaying the presentation of the synopsis until after the next segmentwould be appropriate. In another embodiment, where the next segment hasa lower priority than the synopsis segment, then a determination can bemade that the synopsis should not be delayed. The set-top box 106 (orservers 102) can be configured with any number of conditions to assesswhen it would be appropriate to delay or present the synopsis as soon aspossible.

If a delay is determined, at step 316 the set-top box 106 (or servers102) can generate a time delay flag that identifies a time fordelivering the synopsis. If no delay is determined, at step 318 theset-top box 106 (or servers 102) can generate a different flag thatidentifies an immediate delivery of the synopsis. At step 320 theset-top box 106 (or servers 102) can also determine the elapsed timesince the media program was initiated and the synopsis request wasreceived. At step 322, the set-top box 106 (or servers 102) can alsomake a determination as to a presentation type to be used for thesynopsis. The presentation type can be audio only, text only, videoonly, still image(s) only, thumbnails only, or any combination thereof.In yet another embodiment, the set-top box 106 can pause the displaywhile the summary is being observed.

The presentation type can be determined from known impairments of thesecond user (e.g., color blind, hearing impaired, visually impaired,etc.). For example, the presentation type may be text only if the seconduser has a hearing impairment. The presentation type can also bedetermined from preferences of the second user. For example, the usermay desire not to receive a synopsis that includes audio to avoiddisturbing other users viewing the program. The presentation type canalso be determined from the resources of the portable communicationdevice submitting the synopsis request. For example, if the portablecommunication device cannot provide a video presentation, then thepresentation type can be limited to the resources of the portablecommunication device (e.g., text, still images and/or audio). The stateof the device may also be taken into account when determining how thesynopsis should be presented. For example, if there are headphonesinserted into the device, then the synopsis may include audio since itwill not disturb other users viewing the program in this case.

Once the presentation type is determined, the set-top box 106 (orservers 102) can further determine from the elapsed time of the missedportion, and the presentation type an estimated length for presentingthe synopsis. Generally, the synopsis should be as short as possible sothat the second user can quickly assimilate what has transpired andexperience the rest of the programming with minimal delay. Since thelength of the synopsis cannot be zero, the set-top box 106 (or servers102) can at step 326 account also for an “additional” missed portion dueto the time it will take the second user to review the synopsis. Thetime estimated for reviewing the synopsis, plus the elapsed time of themissed portion can be used by the set-top box 106 (or servers 102) togenerate a synopsis at step 326 that covers the missed portion and theaddition portion that will be missed while reviewing the synopsis.

The synopsis can be constructed from synopsis content created by themedia content authors or service provider of the media content beforethe media content is released to the general public. For example, themedia content authors or service providers can analyze media content atvarious segments and generate a database of synopsis data which can beindexed according to segment count and which can be in the form of audiodescriptions, text descriptions, compact video and still imagedescriptions, and so on, all of which can be selectively chosenaccording to the presentation type determined at step 322. The set-topbox 106 (or servers 102) can, for example, construct a synopsisaccording to the elapsed time which can be used to identify a number ofexpired segments and the review time of the synopsis which identifies anadditional missed portion.

For live programs, such as sports programs, synopsis information can becreated in real-time during the presentation of the game and stored in adatabase for later retrieval for use when synopsis requests are receivedby the set-top box 106 (or servers 102). Since some live programs arebuffered by the service providers, a part of the synopsis can beconstructed with a limited future description to account for thesynopsis review time. Additionally, for live broadcasts, an anticipatedadvertisement slot can also be used to delay the synopsis and therebyreduced or eliminate an additional missed portion.

Once the synopsis has been created, it can be presented according to oneof the flags of steps 316 or 318. If a delay is determined, the set-topbox 106 will delay presentation of the synopsis until a particular timeidentified by the flag (e.g., the beginning of an advertisement or asegment following a “must see” segment). If the flag indicates no delayis determined, then the synopsis is presented immediately. To avoidinterrupting a viewing by the first user of the media program at thetelevision system 110, the synopsis can be presented at a second displayparticularly the display of the portable communication device used bythe second user.

In another embodiment, the second user may desire an in-depth look atsome of the missed content for more background or understanding of thecontent's history. For example, if a television program on display 110was episode 15 of a series, the second user may desire a synopsis thatincludes background information from episode 1-14. The second user canspecify this desire through their profile (must be kept abreast of allprior content), through an interactive interface on his or her device(e.g. 120, 122), and other means that are designated by the set-top box106 directly (e.g., all new users should have a full synopsis of “mustsee segments” that occur in this episode). In this embodiment, thesynopsis may be longer in duration than the current media presentationon the main display 110. Similarly, other embodiments (e.g., aninteractive display on the mobile device 120,122) allow the second userto generate a synopsis that is longer in duration than the currentlyactive content on display 110.

Method 300 provides a procedure for determining a presentation type of asynopsis and appropriate timing for presenting the synopsis. Otherembodiments are contemplated as well. For example, the synopsis can bedetermined by way of an interactive interface in the form of a graphicaluser interface presented at the display of the portable communicationdevice. The interactive interface can enable the second user to move,for example, vertical bars that define a starting point and an endingpoint within the missed portion for generating the synopsis. Whilemoving the vertical bars, the second user can be presented still imagesof the missed portion to enable the second user to assess an appropriatestart and finish within the missed portion. Alternatively, the systemcan synchronize the exact finishing point that corresponds to the liveprogram or the time in the program that corresponds to the current mediatime of the first user. The second user can also move one or both of thevertical bars into a future presentation of the media program.Additionally, the graphic user interface can provide menus for selectinga presentation type (e.g., thumbnail still images with audio, thumbnailvideo images with audio, thumbnail still images with text description,audio only descriptions, text only descriptions, and so on).

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a first communicationsystem 400 for delivering media content. The communication system 400can represent an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media system.Communication system 400 can be overlaid or operably coupled with thesystems 100-200 of FIGS. 1-2 as another representative embodiment ofcommunication system 400. Portions of communication system 400 can beconfigured to perform the embodiments of method 300, such as, forexample, generating a summary of a missed portion of a media program,identifying subject matter in a next segment of content in the mediaprogram that has not been presented, determining a particular time forpresenting the summary according to the subject matter in the nextsegment of content, and initiating a presentation of the summary at theparticular time.

The IPTV media system can include a super head-end office (SHO) 410 withat least one super headend office server (SHS) 411 which receives mediacontent from satellite and/or terrestrial communication systems. In thepresent context, media content can represent, for example, audiocontent, moving image content such as 2D or 3D videos, video games,virtual reality content, still image content, and combinations thereof.The SHS server 411 can forward packets associated with the media contentto one or more video head-end servers (VHS) 414 via a network of videohead-end offices (VHO) 412 according to a multicast communicationprotocol.

The VHS 414 can distribute multimedia broadcast content via an accessnetwork 418 to commercial and/or residential buildings 402 housing agateway 404 (such as a residential or commercial gateway). The accessnetwork 418 can represent a group of digital subscriber line accessmultiplexers (DSLAMs) located in a central office or a service areainterface that provide broadband services over fiber optical links orcopper twisted pairs 419 to buildings 402. The gateway 404 can usecommunication technology to distribute broadcast signals to mediaprocessors 406 such as Set-Top Boxes (STBs) which in turn presentbroadcast channels to media devices 408 such as computers or televisionsets managed in some instances by a media controller 407 (such as aninfrared or RF remote controller).

The gateway 404, the media processors 406, and media devices 408 canutilize tethered communication technologies (such as coaxial, powerlineor phone line wiring) or can operate over a wireless access protocolsuch as Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth, Zigbee, or other present ornext generation local or personal area wireless network technologies. Byway of these interfaces, unicast communications can also be invokedbetween the media processors 406 and subsystems of the IPTV media systemfor services such as video-on-demand (VoD), browsing an electronicprogramming guide (EPG), or other infrastructure services.

A satellite broadcast television system 429 can be used in the mediasystem of FIG. 4. The satellite broadcast television system can beoverlaid, operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 400. In thisembodiment, signals transmitted by a satellite 415 that include mediacontent can be received by a satellite dish receiver 431 coupled to thebuilding 402. Modulated signals received by the satellite dish receiver431 can be transferred to the media processors 406 for demodulating,decoding, encoding, and/or distributing broadcast channels to the mediadevices 408. The media processors 406 can be equipped with a broadbandport to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) network 432 to enableinteractive services such as VoD and EPG as described above.

In yet another embodiment, an analog or digital cable broadcastdistribution system such as cable TV system 433 can be overlaid,operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system and/or the satelliteTV system as another representative embodiment of communication system400. In this embodiment, the cable TV system 433 can also provideInternet, telephony, and interactive media services.

The subject disclosure can apply to other present or next generationover-the-air and/or landline media content services system.

Some of the network elements of the IPTV media system can be coupled toone or more computing devices 430, a portion of which can operate as aweb server for providing web portal services over the ISP network 432 towireline media devices 408 or wireless communication devices 416.

Communication system 400 can also provide for all or a portion of thecomputing devices 430 to function as a server or servers (hereinreferred to as server 430). The server 430 can use computing andcommunication technology to perform function 462, which can includeamong other things, generating a summary of a missed portion of a mediaprogram, identifying subject matter in a next segment of content in themedia program that has not been presented, determining a particular timefor presenting the summary according to the subject matter in the nextsegment of content, and initiating a presentation of the summary at theparticular time. The media processors 406 and wireless communicationdevices 416 can be provisioned with software functions 462 and 466,respectively, to utilize the services of server 430.

Multiple forms of media services can be offered to media devices overlandline technologies such as those described above. Additionally, mediaservices can be offered to media devices by way of a wireless accessbase station 417 operating according to common wireless access protocolssuch as Global System for Mobile or GSM, Code Division Multiple Accessor CDMA, Time Division Multiple Access or TDMA, Universal MobileTelecommunications or UMTS, World interoperability for Microwave orWiMAX, Software Defined Radio or SDR, Long Term Evolution or LTE, and soon. Other present and next generation wide area wireless access networktechnologies can be used in one or more embodiments of the subjectdisclosure.

FIG. 5 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication system 500employing an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network architecture tofacilitate the combined services of circuit-switched and packet-switchedsystems. Communication system 500 can be overlaid or operably coupledwith systems 100-200 of FIGS. 1-2 and communication system 400 asanother representative embodiment of communication system 400. Portionsof communication system 500 can be configured to perform the steps ofmethod 300 such as, for example, detecting a request for a synopsis of amissed portion of a video program in progress, where the missed portionis determined from a first time when the video program was initiated anda second time when the request for the synopsis is received, identifyinga particular time for presenting the synopsis according to subjectmatter in a next segment of content that has yet to be presented in thevideo program, and presenting the synopsis at the particular time.

Communication system 500 can comprise a Home Subscriber Server (HSS)540, a tElephone NUmber Mapping (ENUM) server 530, and other networkelements of an IMS network 550. The IMS network 550 can establishcommunications between IMS-compliant communication devices (CDs) 501,502, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) CDs 503, 505, andcombinations thereof by way of a Media Gateway Control Function (MGCF)520 coupled to a PSTN network 560. The MGCF 520 need not be used when acommunication session involves IMS CD to IMS CD communications. Acommunication session involving at least one PSTN CD may utilize theMGCF 520.

IMS CDs 501, 502 can register with the IMS network 550 by contacting aProxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) which communicates with aninterrogating CSCF (I-CSCF), which in turn, communicates with a ServingCSCF (S-CSCF) to register the CDs with the HSS 540. To initiate acommunication session between CDs, an originating IMS CD 501 can submita Session Initiation Protocol (SIP INVITE) message to an originatingP-CSCF 504 which communicates with a corresponding originating S-CSCF506. The originating S-CSCF 506 can submit the SIP INVITE message to oneor more application servers (ASs) 517 that can provide a variety ofservices to IMS subscribers.

For example, the application servers 517 can be used to performoriginating call feature treatment functions on the calling party numberreceived by the originating S-CSCF 506 in the SIP INVITE message.Originating treatment functions can include determining whether thecalling party number has international calling services, call IDblocking, calling name blocking, 7-digit dialing, and/or is requestingspecial telephony features (e.g., *72 forward calls, *73 cancel callforwarding, *67 for caller ID blocking, and so on). Based on initialfilter criteria (iFCs) in a subscriber profile associated with a CD, oneor more application servers may be invoked to provide various calloriginating feature services.

Additionally, the originating S-CSCF 506 can submit queries to the ENUMsystem 530 to translate an E.164 telephone number in the SIP INVITEmessage to a SIP Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) if the terminatingcommunication device is IMS-compliant. The SIP URI can be used by anInterrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) 507 to submit a query to the HSS 540 toidentify a terminating S-CSCF 514 associated with a terminating IMS CDsuch as reference 502. Once identified, the I-CSCF 507 can submit theSIP INVITE message to the terminating S-CSCF 514. The terminating S-CSCF514 can then identify a terminating P-CSCF 516 associated with theterminating CD 502. The P-CSCF 516 may then signal the CD 502 toestablish Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication services,thereby enabling the calling and called parties to engage in voiceand/or data communications. Based on the iFCs in the subscriber profile,one or more application servers may be invoked to provide various callterminating feature services, such as call forwarding, do not disturb,music tones, simultaneous ringing, sequential ringing, etc.

In some instances the aforementioned communication process issymmetrical. Accordingly, the terms “originating” and “terminating” inFIG. 5 may be interchangeable. It is further noted that communicationsystem 500 can be adapted to support video conferencing. In addition,communication system 500 can be adapted to provide the IMS CDs 501, 502with the multimedia and Internet services of communication system 400 ofFIG. 4.

If the terminating communication device is instead a PSTN CD such as CD503 or CD 505 (in instances where the cellular phone only supportscircuit-switched voice communications), the ENUM system 530 can respondwith an unsuccessful address resolution which can cause the originatingS-CSCF 506 to forward the call to the MGCF 520 via a Breakout GatewayControl Function (BGCF) 519. The MGCF 520 can then initiate the call tothe terminating PSTN CD over the PSTN network 560 to enable the callingand called parties to engage in voice and/or data communications.

It is further appreciated that the CDs of FIG. 5 can operate as wirelineor wireless devices. For example, the CDs of FIG. 5 can becommunicatively coupled to a cellular base station 521, a femtocell, aWiFi router, a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) baseunit, or another suitable wireless access unit to establishcommunications with the IMS network 550 of FIG. 5. The cellular accessbase station 521 can operate according to common wireless accessprotocols such as GSM, CDMA, TDMA, UMTS, WiMax, SDR, LTE, and so on.Other present and next generation wireless network technologies can beused by one or more embodiments of the subject disclosure. Accordingly,multiple wireline and wireless communication technologies can be used bythe CDs of FIG. 5.

Cellular phones supporting LTE can support packet-switched voice andpacket-switched data communications and thus may operate asIMS-compliant mobile devices. In this embodiment, the cellular basestation 521 may communicate directly with the IMS network 550 as shownby the arrow connecting the cellular base station 521 and the P-CSCF516.

It is further understood that alternative forms of a CSCF can operate ina device, system, component, or other form of centralized or distributedhardware and/or software. Indeed, a respective CSCF may be embodied as arespective CSCF system having one or more computers or servers, eithercentralized or distributed, where each computer or server may beconfigured to perform or provide, in whole or in part, any method, step,or functionality described herein in accordance with a respective CSCF.Likewise, other functions, servers and computers described herein,including but not limited to, the HSS, the ENUM server, the BGCF, andthe MGCF, can be embodied in a respective system having one or morecomputers or servers, either centralized or distributed, where eachcomputer or server may be configured to perform or provide, in whole orin part, any method, step, or functionality described herein inaccordance with a respective function, server, or computer.

The server 430 of FIG. 4 can be operably coupled to communication system500 for purposes similar to those described above. Server 430 canperform function 462 and thereby provide synopsis or summary services tothe CDs 501, 502, 503 and 505 of FIG. 5. CDs 501, 502, 503 and 505,which can be adapted with software to perform function 572 to utilizethe services of the server 430. Server 430 can be an integral part ofthe application server(s) 517 performing function 572, which can besubstantially similar to function 462 and adapted to the operations ofthe IMS network 550.

For illustration purposes only, the terms S-CSCF, P-CSCF, I-CSCF, and soon, can be server devices, but may be referred to in the subjectdisclosure without the word “server.” It is also understood that anyform of a CSCF server can operate in a device, system, component, orother form of centralized or distributed hardware and software. It isfurther noted that these terms and other terms such as DIAMETER commandsare terms can include features, methodologies, and/or fields that may bedescribed in whole or in part by standards bodies such as 3rd GenerationPartnership Project (3GPP). It is further noted that some or allembodiments of the subject disclosure may in whole or in part modify,supplement, or otherwise supersede final or proposed standards publishedand promulgated by 3GPP.

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal 602 which canbe hosted by server applications operating from the computing devices430 of the communication system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. Communicationsystem 600 can be communicatively coupled to systems 100-200,communication 400, and/or communication system 500. Communication system602 can be used to provision synopsis servers, define user profiles withsynopsis preferences, among other things. The web portal 602 can be usedfor managing services of systems 100-200 and communication systems400-500. A web page of the web portal 602 can be accessed by a UniformResource Locator (URL) with an Internet browser using anInternet-capable communication device such as those described in FIGS.1-2 and 4-5. The web portal 602 can be configured, for example, toaccess a media processor 106 and services managed thereby such as aDigital Video Recorder (DVR), a Video on Demand (VoD) catalog, anElectronic Programming Guide (EPG), or a personal catalog (such aspersonal videos, pictures, audio recordings, etc.) stored at the mediaprocessor 106. The web portal 602 can also be used for provisioning IMSservices described earlier, provisioning Internet services, provisioningcellular phone services, and so on.

The web portal 602 can further be utilized to manage and provisionsoftware applications 462-466, and 572-574 to adapt these applicationsas may be desired by subscribers and service providers of communicationsystems 100-200 and 400-500.

FIG. 7 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device 700.Communication device 700 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the devices depicted in FIGS. 1-2 and 4-5.Communication device 700 can be configured to perform method 300 inwhole or in part. For example, communication device 700 can beconfigured to perform operations comprising detecting a request for asynopsis of a missed portion of a media program, identifying subjectmatter in a next segment of content in the media program that has notbeen presented, determining a particular time for presenting thesynopsis according to the subject matter in the next segment of content,and initiating a presentation of the synopsis at the particular time.

Communication device 700 can comprise a wireline and/or wirelesstransceiver 702 (herein transceiver 702), a user interface (UI) 704, apower supply 714, a location receiver 716, a motion sensor 718, anorientation sensor 720, and a controller 706 for managing operationsthereof. The transceiver 702 can support short-range or long-rangewireless access technologies such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, WiFi, DECT, orcellular communication technologies, just to mention a few. Cellulartechnologies can include, for example, CDMA-1X, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS,TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO, WiMAX, SDR, LTE, as well as other next generationwireless communication technologies as they arise. The transceiver 702can also be adapted to support circuit-switched wireline accesstechnologies (such as PSTN), packet-switched wireline accesstechnologies (such as TCP/IP, VoIP, etc.), and combinations thereof.

The UI 704 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 708 witha navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a joystick, a mouse, or anavigation disk for manipulating operations of the communication device700. The keypad 708 can be an integral part of a housing assembly of thecommunication device 700 or an independent device operably coupledthereto by a tethered wireline interface (such as a USB cable) or awireless interface supporting for example Bluetooth. The keypad 708 canrepresent a numeric keypad commonly used by phones, and/or a QWERTYkeypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 704 can further include a display710 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED(Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technology forconveying images to an end user of the communication device 700. In anembodiment where the display 710 is touch-sensitive, a portion or all ofthe keypad 708 can be presented by way of the display 710 withnavigation features.

The display 710 can use touch screen technology to also serve as a userinterface for detecting user input. As a touch screen display, thecommunication device 700 can be adapted to present a user interface withgraphical user interface (GUI) elements that can be selected by a userwith a touch of a finger. The touch screen display 710 can be equippedwith capacitive, resistive or other forms of sensing technology todetect how much surface area of a user's finger has been placed on aportion of the touch screen display. This sensing information can beused to control the manipulation of the GUI elements or other functionsof the user interface. The display 710 can be an integral part of thehousing assembly of the communication device 400 or an independentdevice communicatively coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface(such as a cable) or a wireless interface.

The UI 704 can also include an audio system 712 that utilizes audiotechnology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heard inproximity of a human ear) and high volume audio (such as speakerphonefor hands free operation). The audio system 712 can further include amicrophone for receiving audible signals of an end user. The audiosystem 712 can also be used for voice recognition applications. The UI704 can further include an image sensor 713 such as a charged coupleddevice (CCD) camera for capturing still or moving images.

The power supply 714 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and/or charging system technologies for supplying energyto the components of the communication device 700 to facilitatelong-range or short-range portable applications. Alternatively, or incombination, the charging system can utilize external power sources suchas DC power supplied over a physical interface such as a USB port orother suitable tethering technologies.

The location receiver 716 can utilize location technology such as aglobal positioning system (GPS) receiver capable of assisted GPS foridentifying a location of the communication device 700 based on signalsgenerated by a constellation of GPS satellites, which can be used forfacilitating location services such as navigation. The motion sensor 718can utilize motion sensing technology such as an accelerometer, agyroscope, or other suitable motion sensing technology to detect motionof the communication device 700 in three-dimensional space. Theorientation sensor 720 can utilize orientation sensing technology suchas a magnetometer to detect the orientation of the communication device700 (north, south, west, and east, as well as combined orientations indegrees, minutes, or other suitable orientation metrics).

The communication device 700 can use the transceiver 702 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, or other wirelessaccess points by sensing techniques such as utilizing a received signalstrength indicator (RSSI) and/or signal time of arrival (TOA) or time offlight (TOF) measurements. The controller 706 can utilize computingtechnologies such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP),programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits,and/or a video processor with associated storage memory such as Flash,ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies for executingcomputer instructions, controlling, and processing data supplied by theaforementioned components of the communication device 400.

Other components not shown in FIG. 7 can be used in one or moreembodiments of the subject disclosure. For instance, the communicationdevice 700 can include a reset button (not shown). The reset button canbe used to reset the controller 706 of the communication device 700. Inyet another embodiment, the communication device 700 can also include afactory default setting button positioned, for example, below a smallhole in a housing assembly of the communication device 700 to force thecommunication device 700 to re-establish factory settings. In thisembodiment, a user can use a protruding object such as a pen or paperclip tip to reach into the hole and depress the default setting button.The communication device 400 can also include a slot for adding orremoving an identity module such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)card. SIM cards can be used for identifying subscriber services,executing programs, storing subscriber data, and so forth.

The communication device 700 as described herein can operate with moreor less of the circuit components shown in FIG. 7. These variantembodiments can be used in one or more embodiments of the subjectdisclosure.

The communication device 700 can be adapted to perform the functions ofthe portable communication devices of FIGS. 1-2, the media processor406, the media devices 408, or the portable communication devices 416 ofFIG. 4, as well as the IMS CDs 501-502 and PSTN CDs 503-505 of FIG. 5.It will be appreciated that the communication device 700 can alsorepresent other devices that can operate in communication systems400-500 of FIGS. 4-5 such as a gaming console and a media player.

The communication device 700 shown in FIG. 7 or portions thereof canserve as a representation of one or more of the devices of systems100-200, communication system 400, and communication system 500. Inaddition, the controller 706 can be adapted in various embodiments toperform the functions 462-466 and 572-574, respectively.

It should be understood that devices described in the exemplaryembodiments can be in communication with each other via various wirelessand/or wired methodologies. The methodologies can be links that aredescribed as coupled, connected and so forth, which can includeunidirectional and/or bidirectional communication over wireless pathsand/or wired paths that utilize one or more of various protocols ormethodologies, where the coupling and/or connection can be direct (e.g.,no intervening processing device) and/or indirect (e.g., an intermediaryprocessing device such as a router).

FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 800 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethods describe above. One or more instances of the machine canoperate, for example, as the servers 102, the portable communicationdevices of FIGS. 1-2, server 430, media processor 406, portablecommunication devices 120, 122, 416, 502, 505, and other devices ofFIGS. 1-2 and 4-5. In some embodiments, the machine may be connected(e.g., using a network 826) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or aclient user machine in server-client user network environment, or as apeer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a smart phone, a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge,or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a communication device of the subject disclosureincludes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video ordata communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, theterm “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machinesthat individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) ofinstructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

The computer system 800 may include a processor (or controller) 802(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU,or both), a main memory 804 and a static memory 806, which communicatewith each other via a bus 808. The computer system 800 may furtherinclude a display unit 810 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flatpanel, or a solid state display. The computer system 800 may include aninput device 812 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 814 (e.g.,a mouse), a disk drive unit 816, a signal generation device 818 (e.g., aspeaker or remote control) and a network interface device 820. Indistributed environments, the embodiments described in the subjectdisclosure can be adapted to utilize multiple display units 810controlled by two or more computer systems 800. In this configuration,presentations described by the subject disclosure may in part be shownin a first of the display units 810, while the remaining portion ispresented in a second of the display units 810.

The disk drive unit 816 may include a tangible computer-readable storagemedium 822 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g.,software 824) embodying any one or more of the methods or functionsdescribed herein, including those methods illustrated above. Theinstructions 824 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 804, the static memory 806, and/or within theprocessor 802 during execution thereof by the computer system 800. Themain memory 804 and the processor 802 also may constitute tangiblecomputer-readable storage media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices that can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Application specific integrated circuits andprogrammable logic array can use downloadable instructions for executingstate machines and/or circuit configurations to implement embodiments ofthe subject disclosure. Applications that may include the apparatus andsystems of various embodiments broadly include a variety of electronicand computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions in two ormore specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with relatedcontrol and data signals communicated between and through the modules,or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, theexample system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardwareimplementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the subject disclosure, theoperations or methods described herein are intended for operation assoftware programs or instructions running on or executed by a computerprocessor or other computing device, and which may include other formsof instructions manifested as a state machine implemented with logiccomponents in an application specific integrated circuit or fieldprogrammable array. Furthermore, software implementations (e.g.,software programs, instructions, etc.) can include, but not limited to,distributed processing or component/object distributed processing,parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also beconstructed to implement the methods described herein. It is furthernoted that a computing device such as a processor, a controller, a statemachine or other suitable device for executing instructions to performoperations or methods may perform such operations directly or indirectlyby way of one or more intermediate devices directed by the computingdevice.

While the tangible computer-readable storage medium 622 is shown in anexample embodiment to be a single medium, the term “tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a singlemedium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database,and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any non-transitory medium that is capable ofstoring or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods ofthe subject disclosure.

The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shall accordinglybe taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such asa memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only(non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable(volatile) memories, a magneto-optical or optical medium such as a diskor tape, or other tangible media which can be used to store information.Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more ofa tangible computer-readable storage medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are from time-to-timesuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Wireless standards for device detection (e.g.,RFID), short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee), andlong-range communications (e.g., WiMAX, GSM, CDMA, LTE) can be used bycomputer system 800.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Otherembodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structuraland logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing fromthe scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representationaland may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may beexaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated toachieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodimentsshown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations orvariations of various embodiments. Combinations of the aboveembodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein,can be used in the subject disclosure.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can beseen that various features are grouped together in a single embodimentfor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method ofdisclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subjectmatter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device, comprising: a processing systemincluding a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructionsthat, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance ofoperations, comprising: downloading media content in response toreceiving user-input from a remote controller, wherein the user-inputindicates to present the media content on a display communicativelycoupled to the device, wherein the device comprises a media processor,wherein the media content was previously recorded; providing the mediacontent to the display, wherein the display presents the media contentto a first user; receiving a request for a synopsis of a missed portionof a transmission of the media content in progress from a communicationdevice associated with a second user based on the communication devicedetecting that the communication device is within a communication rangeof the device, wherein the communication device requests metadata thatidentifies a genre of the media content, and wherein the communicationdevice submits the request for the synopsis of the missed portion basedon the communication device determining that the media content isdesirable for viewing by the second user in accordance with a comparisonof the genre to user preferences of the second user; facilitating accessto the synopsis of the missed portion; determining a viewingsignificance of a next segment of the media content and a priority ofthe missed portion; and providing the synopsis to the communicationdevice in response to identifying a particular time for presenting thesynopsis according to the viewing significance of the next segment ofthe media content and the priority of the missed portion.
 2. The deviceof claim 1, wherein the determining of the missed portion comprisesdetermining the missed portion of the transmission of the media contentbased on an arrival time of the second user in response to determiningthe arrival time of the second user of the communication device to aviewing area proximate the display.
 3. The device of claim 2, whereinthe determining of the arrival time comprises determining the arrivaltime based on a trajectory of the communication device.
 4. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the operations comprise transmitting, over a wirelesscommunication link, the synopsis at the particular time to thecommunication device for presentation to the second user of thecommunication device, wherein the synopsis is presented on a display ofthe communication device.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein theidentifying of the particular time comprises identifying the particulartime to be after the next segment according to the viewing significanceof the next segment being higher than the priority of the missedportion.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the next segment comprises anadvertisement.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the determining of thepriority of the missed portion comprises determining the priority of themissed portion according to a length of the missed portion.
 8. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the missed portion comprises a plurality ofmissed segments, wherein each of the plurality of missed segments isassociated with a priority, resulting in a plurality of priorities. 9.The device of claim 8, wherein the determining of the priority of themissed portion comprises determining the priority of the missed portionaccording to the plurality of priorities.
 10. A machine-readable storagedevice, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by aprocessing system including a processor, facilitate performance ofoperations comprising: downloading media content in response toreceiving user-input from a remote controller, wherein the user-inputindicates to present the media content on a display communicativelycoupled to the processing system, wherein the processing systemcomprises a media processor, wherein the media content was previouslyrecorded; providing the media content to the display, wherein thedisplay presents the media content to a first user; receiving a requestfor a synopsis of a missed portion of a transmission of the mediacontent in progress from a communication device associated with a seconduser based on the communication device detecting that the communicationdevice is within a communication range of the processing system, whereinthe communication device requests metadata that identifies a genre ofthe media content, and wherein the communication device submits therequest for the synopsis of the missed portion based on thecommunication device determining that the media content is desirable forviewing by the second user in accordance with a comparison of the genreto user preferences of the second user; determining a viewingsignificance of a next segment of the media content and a priority ofthe missed portion; and providing the synopsis to the communicationdevice in response to identifying a particular time for presenting thesynopsis according to the viewing significance of the next segment ofthe media content and the priority of the missed portion, whereinidentifying the particular time comprises identifying the particulartime to be after the next segment according to viewing significance ofthe next segment is higher than the priority of the missed portion. 11.The machine-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the determiningof the missed portion comprises determining the missed portion of thetransmission of the media content based on an arrival time of the seconduser in response to determining the arrival time of the second user ofthe communication device to a viewing area proximate the processingsystem.
 12. The machine-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein thedetermining of the arrival time comprises determining the arrival timebased on a trajectory of the communication device.
 13. Themachine-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the operationscomprise transmitting, over a wireless communication link, the synopsisat the particular time to the communication device, wherein the synopsisis presented on a display of the communication device.
 14. Themachine-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the next segmentcomprises an advertisement.
 15. The machine-readable storage device ofclaim 10, wherein the determining of the priority of the missed portioncomprises determining the priority of the missed portion according to alength of the missed portion.
 16. The machine-readable storage device ofclaim 10, wherein the missed portion comprises a plurality of missedsegments, wherein each of the plurality of missed segments is associatedwith a priority, resulting in a plurality of priorities, and wherein thedetermining of the priority of the missed portion comprises determiningthe priority of the missed portion according to the plurality ofpriorities.
 17. A method, comprising: downloading, by a processingsystem including a processor, media content in response to receivinguser-input from a remote controller, wherein the user-input indicates topresent the media content on a display communicatively coupled to theprocessing system, wherein the processing system comprises a mediaprocessor, wherein the media content was previously recorded; providing,by the processing system, the media content to the display, wherein thedisplay presents the media content to a first user; receiving, by theprocessing system, a request for a synopsis of a missed portion of atransmission of the media content in progress from a communicationdevice associated with a second user based on the communication devicedetecting that the communication device is within a communication rangeof the processing system, wherein the communication device requestsmetadata that identifies a genre of the media content, and wherein thecommunication device submits the request for the synopsis of the missedportion based on the communication device determining that the mediacontent is desirable for viewing by the second user in accordance with acomparison of the genre to user preferences of the second user;determining, by the processing system, a viewing significance of a nextsegment of the media content and a priority of the missed portion,wherein the missed portion comprises a plurality of missed segments,wherein each of the plurality of missed segments is associated with apriority, resulting in a plurality of priorities, wherein thedetermining of the priority of the missed portion comprises determiningthe priority of the missed portion according to the plurality ofpriorities; and providing, by the processing system, the synopsis to thecommunication device in response to identifying, by the processingsystem, a particular time for presenting the synopsis according to theviewing significance of the next segment of the media content and thepriority of the missed portion.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein theidentifying of the particular time comprises identifying, by theprocessing system, the particular time to be after the next segmentaccording to viewing significance of the next segment is higher than thepriority of the missed portion.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein themedia processor comprises a set-top box.
 20. The device of claim 1,wherein the receiving of the request for the synopsis of the missedportion is further based on an acceptance of a prompt presented at thecommunication device, wherein the prompt provides the second user anoption to request the synopsis.